


180 Days

by Hughville, Pyewacket75



Series: The Days Trilogy [2]
Category: House M.D.
Genre: Explicit Language, F/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:40:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hughville/pseuds/Hughville, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyewacket75/pseuds/Pyewacket75
Summary: House and Cameron try to deal with their feelings for each other while starting up the Diagnostics Department.
Relationships: Allison Cameron/Greg House
Series: The Days Trilogy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805380
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Still don't own _House_.

“So, about that drink…” House said as they entered the chaos of the ER. It was near the end of the day but it was a Friday, and the triage was standing room only.  
“How about we just meet there? At six? I have some paperwork I need to finish up and then I need to figure out who’s going to run the ER.”  
“I’m sure you’ll find somebody more than capable. Don’t stress about it.”  
“Easier said than done. Go see if you can clear triage for awhile until you’re off.”  
“Yes, Mistress,” he said in a deep voice that made her shiver. She wasn’t sure what brought that reaction but she liked it. House was turning her on, and it had been too long since anyone had done that.  
She watched him go to triage and take over with admitting before heading into the fray where patients awaited.  
At six, it was time to go home but Cameron was knee-deep in the middle of dealing with a screaming kid who didn’t want stitches.  
“I’ll meet you at the jazz lounge down the block,” he whispered in her ear, which made her blush as the boys’ parents watched them with interest. “You do like jazz, don’t you?”  
House then looked at the kid and pointed at Cameron. “She’s the best doctor in the ER. Want red stitches to match your Deadpool shirt?”  
The boy eagerly nodded and smiled at House. “Yeah!”  
“I’ll go get the red sutures,” Cameron said and excused herself while House followed. “You know, despite what you say, you’re really good with kids.”  
“I talk to them like anyone else,” he said with a shrug as he watched her get the supplies. “They don’t like being talked down to. They’re smarter than that.”  
Cameron nodded. “I’ll head over once I finish up here.”  
“Sounds good.”  
Half an hour later, she still hadn’t shown up and House was getting annoyed. Finally, he gave in and called her cell.  
She answered on the second ring. “I’m sorry, House. I can’t leave. Two doctors called in sick and there’s nobody else here.”  
“You’re by yourself?”  
“Pretty much, other than some nurses. But they can only do so much.”  
The pleading tone in her voice was more than he could stand so House ended the call, paid for his single beer and headed back to the hospital.  
“If you didn’t want to go out with me, all you had to do was say so,” he told her as he entered the ER, shedding his jacket. His teasing tone was lost on her, however, and she scowled at him.  
“Not now, House. If you’re going to help me, great, grab some scrubs and dive in. I have some more people coming in but it’ll be awhile before they get here.”  
House grabbed a clean set of scrubs and went to change.  
Three hours later, help finally arrived and after briefing the doctors on what there was to do, Cameron beat a hasty retreat to the locker rooms and all but collapsed onto one of the benches. She couldn’t remember the last time she was so tired and the bench suddenly seemed very comfortable. Stretching out on it, she was asleep in minutes.  
When House came in ten minutes later, he found her asleep and didn’t want to wake her but he didn’t want her sleeping there all night, either. With the tip of his cane, he tapped her foot and she woke up so fast she lost her balance and rolled off the bench onto the floor.  
“Oww! Shit!” she hissed as she rubbed her elbow. “What the hell, House?”  
“Sorry, but I didn’t think you wanted to spend the night on that bench. Not that the floor is any better.”  
She was still rubbing the elbow she landed on when she fell and he stepped forward to help her to her feet. “Let me see it.”  
“It’s fine.”  
“I insist,” he said and gently took her elbow, examining it. It was then she noticed just how soft his hands were. She knew he played piano and guitar and his fingers were certainly that of a musician; long and thin.  
“You needt to get ice on that or you’re going to have a hell of a bruise.”  
“I’m going to have a bruise anyway,” she said between yawns.   
“You’re also not driving home. Get your stuff. I’ll take you.”  
“On your bike?”  
“Yep. Which means you’ll have to hold on tight and try not to fall asleep so we don’t get killed.”  
He handed her his helmet and she looked strangely at him. “Don’t you need it?”  
“Ladies first,” he said and they headed outside. He climbed on first, and she got on behind him.   
“Where do you want my hands?” she asked.  
He took her wrists and securely wrapped them around his waist. “Not too tight,” he chuckled. “And lean into the turns with me.”  
“Got it.”  
House turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. “Ready?” he asked her.  
“Yeah, let’s go.”  
He took her home and she climbed off before handing him back his helmet. “Did you want to come in?”  
House shrugged and nodded. “Sure.”  
Once inside, Cameron hung up her jacket and dropped her bag on the floor. “What can I get for you?”  
“Got a beer?”  
“Yep.”  
She returned a couple of minutes later with a glass of wine for herself and she handed him a bottle of beer.  
“So,” he said as he twisted the cap off the bottle. “Why don’t we just cut the small talk and get into it?”  
“Get into what?” she asked as she sat down beside him and sighed as she sank into the couch cushions.  
“We like each other.”  
“I didn’t realize that was an issue. We’ve been working together for months. And if I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have agreed to run the department with you.”  
“You’re still a horrible liar. It’s one thing to lie to a patient, but you can’t lie to me.”  
“Oh, is that right?” she asked as she kicked off her shoes and put her feet on the coffee table.  
“Yeah. And for the record, there’s nothing wrong with it.”  
“With what?”  
“Liking each other and doing something about it.”  
He looked so intensely at her that she started to feel warm all over. It was so predatory. She felt like a mouse being stalked by a very determined cat.  
“Stop it, House,” she said as she took a long sip of her wine, hoping it would fan the flames that seemed to be heating things up. Suddenly it felt very warm in the room.  
“Why?”  
“Because I said so! It’s just...a bad idea. When two people work as closely as we have, it’s only natural for feelings to emerge, and that’s all fine and dandy. But to try and make a relationship out of it? It rarely works. You’ve heard about all the pairings at work that have quickly gone south. I don’t want to be another statistic. And then we’re stuck working together which would just be even more awkward.”  
“We can work together and be adults, you know. It happens all the time. Look at Wilson and Amber.”  
“They don’t work together,” Cameron pointed out. “You can’t use them as an example.”  
“So you don’t even want to try?”  
“What, House? Having a personal relationship as well as a working one? I already told you I think it’s a bad idea.”  
“And I don’t.”  
“Well that’s your opinion.”  
“It’s the only one that matters when one of us is talking total nonsense,” he remarked.  
“Oh, I’m the one talking nonsense? You just got your own department handed to you on a silver fucking platter! You’ve got me helping you, like you wanted, and you’re willing to piss it all away because you’ve got a hard on for me. Un-fucking-believable!” She slammed her wine glass on the table and stood up, just as House did the same and they stood toe to toe staring at each other.  
He wanted to grab her and kiss some sense into her. _That would certainly take a lot of kissing_ , he thought to himself.  
“Sit down, Cameron.”  
“Don’t tell me what to do in my house, House,” she said defiantly as she folded her arms.  
House smirked and rolled his eyes. “Okay fine, please sit down, Cameron.”  
“I’m done talking about this because there’s nothing to talk about.”  
“Fine,” he said as he picked up the beer bottle and guzzled the last little bit. “I’ll go then.”  
“Fine.”  
“But just so you know, we’re not done talking about this.”  
Once he left, Cameron closed the door behind him and locked it. Then she threw herself against it and fanned herself. “What the fuck was that?”


	2. Chapter 2

“How did the meeting with the board go?” It was the first thing Wilson asked when House came upstairs to borrow some extra sugar for his coffee.  
“Fine.”  
“Did you get the department?”  
“Yep.”  
“Wow. That’s great. And is Cameron going to run it with you?”  
“Yep.”  
“I love these one word answers.”  
“I’m tired!” House repeated, a little louder. “I’ll tell you about it later. Now I just want to go to bed.”  
“I would have thought you’d celebrated with Cameron in her bed.”  
House shot Wilson a glare. “Be careful, Wilson.”  
“Got shot down, huh?”  
“Fuck you.”  
A moment later one door slammed and then another. Wilson merely chuckled as he topped up his coffee.   
XXX  
On Monday night, House showed up at work with a tray of coffee for himself and Cameron, and found her in the ER.   
“Coffee time,” he said as he placed the tray on the desk.  
“Thanks, you are a lifesaver.”  
“So glad to see you’re talking to me.”   
She pursed her lips and took her coffee. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t talk to you. I just won’t talk about anything to do with a romantic relationship between us.”  
“So, what?” he asked as he took his coffee cup. “We’re friends? Colleagues? Friendly colleagues?”  
“We’re friendly colleagues.”  
House snorted. “Yeah, we’ll see how long that lasts. You want me. You want me bad.” He smiled at her and walked away.  
She stared at him as he began pulling charts and checking on patients. She did want him. The problem was that she wasn’t sure he wanted her in the same way. She wanted more than a casual relationship. She wanted to live with him or maybe even marry him. She knew he wanted to sleep with her but nothing beyond that. Sleeping with him would definitely scratch the itch for both of them but she knew it wouldn't be enough for her. Shaking her head, she took her coffee to her office and tried to concentrate on the pile of paperwork in her inbox.  
Later, House found her at the nurse’s station. “So, they found us an office for our department. Well, it’s two conjoined rooms. One is the actual office, and the one next to it is the conference room which will be perfect for DDX’s.”  
“Where is it?” she asked.  
“The fourth floor. Want to go see?”  
He seemed excited, something she’d never seen before and it was almost infectious. He was like a little boy on Christmas morning.  
“Yeah, I could use a break.”  
They took the elevator up to the fourth floor. It wasn’t a place House was familiar with, as he’d never had a reason to go up there, but it was a nice area and the offices were large. He stopped at the end of the hall and looked at her expectantly, anticipation shining in his eyes.   
She pushed open the door to the largest room. The blinds were closed so she crossed the room and opened them. The lights from the parking lot lit the room enough so that they could see it. There was a small kitchenette in the far corner. The room was big enough for a conference table, bookshelves, maybe even a desk.   
House took her hand and led her into the smaller room. There were glass walls and doors everywhere. They would have almost no privacy.  
“I thought this could be the main office,” he told her as he bounced lightly on the balls of his feet.  
Cameron looked at the orange wall, the large window, the outer wall which was also made of glass and then the door leading to a balcony.  
“Your office,” she said.  
“No,” he said flatly. “ _Our_ office.”  
“There’s not room for two desks and it’s too small to use for differentials.”  
Looking over her shoulder at his face, she pasted a smile on her face. “It’s perfect. I don’t need a desk. I’ll have my tablet. It’s perfect.”  
“I’m going back to work,” he told her.  
“Greg!”  
He stopped with his hand on the door. “I get it. You hate it. You said perfect twice. I know what that means.”  
“I got demoted. Did that ever occur to you?” she asked in exasperation. “I’m no longer a department head. I’m basically your assistant. The team of doctors who end up working in this department will defer to you. You will be in charge. I won’t. So forgive me if I’m not overwhelmed with joy. Obviously I’ve done something wrong for them to demote me.” She shook her head. “I’ve worked here for years. I started out as an intern in Immunology. Then they promoted a man over me. A man with less experience. Do you know what they told me? He had a family to support and I didn’t. So, I went to work down in the ER. I know the reason I got the job as head of it is because a woman was running it and the ER doesn’t bring in any money.”  
She could feel the anger welling up and didn’t want to take it out on him. “We should get back to work. I have an applicant coming in to work with me later this morning so I’ll be working a triple.”  
Brushing past him, she opened the door and walked to the stairs. She didn’t turn back and he didn’t follow her.  
XXX  
House left at the end of his shift without saying anything. Cameron knew she hurt him but everything she said was true. Somehow they had to get past it or they wouldn’t be able to work together. She knew she’d be the one let go. House more than proved his worth to the hospital. So, she would apologize and hope that he could forgive her. As she worked with the chirpy redhead who hoped to replace her, Cameron found herself growing more and more annoyed. The woman knew almost nothing about emergency medicine and was more concerned about not getting anything on her designer shoes which she insisted on wearing with her scrubs. Cameron saw one of the board members watching from the doors to the main lobby. They looked at each other and the older woman shook her head before approaching the applicant. Cameron was relieved when the redhead was sent home.  
At ten fifteen, House arrived with coffee and a white bag. Once he changed into his scrubs and came back, he crooked his finger at her. She smiled slightly and walked over to the nurse’s station where he waited.  
“I got your favorite coffee and those weird cookies you like so much,” he told her. He tapped his cane on the floor and then looked at her. “I didn’t think of the new department from your point of view. You aren’t my assistant. We’re going to run that department _together_. The board may have treated you shitty, but I haven’t.”  
“I know,” she said softly. She looked up at him and grinned saucily. “You just keep sexually harassing me.”   
He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She shivered and blew out her breath as fire raced through her.  
“Haven’t heard anything from HR about it,” he said with a slight grin. “Oh, and there is room for two desks. I figured it out. You need a desk and we need to be able to talk to each other in private where the team or case aren’t concerned.”  
“I don’t know…”  
“Come on, I’ll show you.”  
“I’m busy, House.”  
“Too busy to check out _our_ new office?” he asked, pretending to be put out. With that sad puppy dog expression, he looked too adorable and she couldn’t say no. That in itself, she realized, would be another problem to add to her list of ways House affected her.  
Sighing, she nodded and followed him into the elevator. “We need to hire a team,” he said. “You know what would be cool? Doing it Survivor-style.”  
“No. We are _not_ doing that. I’m not wasting valuable resources and pissing off the board just so you can have fun.”  
“Having our own department will be fun,” he pointed out as the doors opened and they stepped out.  
“We’re not hiring a bunch of people only to crush them by firing them. That’s mean and it’s unfair. You might be in charge where the DDX’s are concerned, but I also have a say in who gets hired and I say we’re not doing that.”  
“Killjoy,” he muttered as they approached the office. The blinds were all open and she noticed there were now two desks that faced each other. She noted that neither of them would have their back to either door. _Oh great_ , she thought to herself. _Now I’ll be forced to look at him all damn day. How am I supposed to get any work done?_ Maybe she could get some pretty paintings to put on the wall behind his desk so she could focus on something other than his gorgeous face. There was also an Eames chair with an ottoman which she could only assume was for him. She noted there was room by the window for a smaller chair that she could relax in or sleep in when they had a particularly challenging case.  
House watched her and was intrigued by her reaction, even though she didn’t say anything. “What? You don’t like the layout? We can move things around…”  
“No, no, it’s fine. It’s a good use of space. I imagine we’ll be spending more time in the conference room anyway. What do we need in there?”  
“A white board, to write down ideas, a coffee machine, fridge, mini-bar…”  
“We’re not stocking this place with booze,” she told him with a slight grin.  
“You’re just not going to let me have any kind of fun are you?”  
“Do you want this department to be running in a year or not? Because having booze in the fridge isn’t going to help.”  
“You could do with a tall stiff one. And by stiff I mean…”  
Cameron turned and started to walk away. He was getting to her and she had to leave or she’d succumb to it. “Time to get back to work, House. Let’s go.”


	3. Chapter 3

While Cameron was busy finding a replacement to run the ER, House was released from the department to begin preparations for opening Diagnostics. He spent the day surfing the internet, creating job postings for three positions on his team and watching porn. He still had to do clinic hours, but it gave him a chance to get the word out to the other doctors that he was hiring. A week later, applications began trickling in and soon, there was a significant pile on his desk.  
“What am I supposed to do with all these? I’ll bet there’s only a few good ones. It’ll be like finding a needle in a haystack,” he whined.  
“It can’t be that bad,” Cameron said as she entered the office and sat down at her desk. When she saw the stack of resumes, her eyes widened. “Holy shit.”  
House rested his chin on his cane and tapped his foot as he tried to come up with some way to get through the pile.  
“Why don’t we go through them together? Maybe we can choose a handful of people and weed out the riff raff,” she said as she began picking through the pile.  
“Yeah that’s an idea. Come over Friday. You can bring the pizza,” House said as he stood up. “I’ve got the beer. See you at six.”  
Before she could object, he was gone and she sighed. The man was impossible, but, she admitted, he’d done a lot of work on his own, getting the department set up the way he wanted, while still doing time in the clinic, and occasionally helping out in the ER when needed. Although she knew he was trolling for their first case while he was there.  
XXX  
Cameron arrived at Wilson and Amber’s place but went to the basement entrance. It was almost seven but she’d texted House and let him know she’d be late. When he flung open the door, she jumped slightly and almost dropped the two pizza boxes she carried. House waved her in and she entered his apartment. It was cleaner than she expected.  
“Just bring the pizza over to the couch,” he told her.  
Cameron shook her head and put the pizza boxes on the counter in the small kitchenette. Opening a cabinet, she found some chipped, mismatched plates. She took two, opened the top pizza box and placed two pieces on each plate.  
“Where are the napkins?” she asked.  
“That’s what your sleeve is for,” he answered. “Bring the food, woman! I’m starving.”  
Sighing, she carried the two plates over to him and sat down on the couch. She watched in astonishment as he devoured both pieces in under two minutes.   
“I told you I was hungry,” he grinned as he took her plate and ate her pizza.  
Cameron got up and brought both boxes of pizza and put them on the coffee table.  
“So,” he said as he flipped the top box open and grabbed more pizza, “I’ve got them sorted by danglers and non-danglers.”  
Cameron got up and went out to her car. She got the box of wet wipes she kept in her glove box and returned. She set the box down firmly.  
“Use them,” she commanded as she pulled a piece of pizza loose and took a bite.  
House ripped the box open, made a show of wiping his hands and face and then tossed the used wipe on the table.  
“Now danglers-” he began.  
“I know how you think. You’ve divided the pile into men and women. We are budgeted for four doctors, a nurse and an assistant. I’d like to cover as many bases specialty-wise as possible. Since we’re going to be dealing with zebras instead of horses, we need people who think outside the box.”  
“And this is why you will not be my assistant,” he grinned.  
They spent the rest of the night eating pizza, drinking beer and sorting resumes. They got the piles down to eight men and eight women.  
House stretched and made a little noise that sent fire shooting straight to Cameron’s core. It was the most erotic thing she’d ever heard.  
“I’ll take these and we’ll set up interviews,” she said, bending forward so her hair covered her face. “You still want to open the department on January 2nd?”  
“Yep,” he yawned.  
She grabbed her purse and walked up the ramp to the door. “See you tomorrow,” she said but he was asleep already.  
She locked the door and closed it quietly.  
“Shit,” she grumbled as she got into her car. “I am going to end up being his God damned assistant.”   
XXX  
Cameron was in a foul mood the next day. She came in four hours before her shift started and couldn’t find House. He wasn’t in their office, the ER, the clinic, or the cafeteria. She went back to their office and began calling applicants to set up interviews. She was nearly finished when she heard whistling. House pushed open the office door and stopped short when he saw her. He looked at his watch and then back at her.  
“You’re not due for another two hours,” he commented as he came in and sat down in his Eames chair.   
“Where the hell have you been?” she asked through gritted teeth. “I told you I was coming in early to set up interviews.”  
“Yeah,” he responded as he lifted his right leg onto the foot stool. “Tomorrow.”  
“It is tomorrow since I said that last night!”  
“You said that about two this morning which is technically today.”  
“Oh, my GOD!” she exploded. “Is this what it’s going to be like working for you?”  
“Not for me. _With_ me. And you’ve known me for months now. You know how I am.”  
“Yes, you are literal when it suits you. If you didn’t want to call the applicants, all you had to do was tell me.”  
“Well, I don’t want to call the applicants but I would have if you told me to do it.”  
Cameron clenched her fists. “Get up and call these last three applicants. Here is the schedule.” She shoved the folders and the calendar on his desk.  
“Geez, no need to get your panties in a twist,” he grumbled as he got up.  
She watched him as he made the calls and marked the interview times on the calendar.  
“Happy?” he asked as he shoved everything back onto her desk.  
Cameron stood and grabbed her bag. She flung the door open and stomped down the hallway. She heard House behind her so she stopped at the top of the stairs, and turned on him. He stepped back and stared at her with wide eyes.  
“I was going to work down in the dungeon with you tonight,” he said softly. “Should I bother?”  
Part of her wanted to tell him no and another wanted to tell him yes. A bigger part of her wanted to kiss him senseless. So she did. Grabbing him, she pulled his head down and kissed him. She was dimly aware of his cane hitting the floor as his arms went around her waist. His mouth slanted across hers and she thrust her tongue into his mouth. He moaned and she deepened the kiss as she strained up against him. A hum of pleasure escaped her as his hands slid down inside her jeans and gripped her ass, pressing her against him. She slid her hands beneath his t-shirt and dug her fingers into the muscles of his back. She could feel his erection against her stomach. Slowly, she pulled back breathing heavily. His fingers trailed up her back before he released her. Reaching out, he touched her swollen lips.  
She stepped back.  
“You should report me to HR,” she whispered and then ran down the stairs.  
He picked up his cane and made his way to the elevator. She expected him to report that kiss to HR and there was no way he would do that. After all, she just proved she thought of him as more than a friend or a colleague. He also planned to somehow get her to kiss him like that again and have it lead to more pleasurable conclusions.


	4. Chapter 4

Things were a little awkward for the next couple of days. The kiss they shared, as hot as it was, hung over their heads. House wondered what it would take to get her to kiss him like that again. It was certainly one of the hottest kisses he’d experienced in a long time, from anyone, and he certainly had his share of kissing women. Cameron, however, wasn’t just any woman. If he played his cards right, she’d be putty in his hands. He just needed to find her melting point.   
“So who’s interviewing these pathetic hopefuls? Or is this going to be a joint venture?” House asked her as they ate lunch at their desks in their office.  
Cameron took a sip of her drink. “I think we should both be present. But I also think we need to have a code word or a signal or something. If the applicant isn’t the right fit, we can end the interview and send them on their way.”  
“Because “get the hell out of our office” is too harsh, huh?”  
She smiled. “Yeah, just a little. You need to work on your subtleties, Dr. House.”  
“I didn’t become a doctor to be subtle. I became a doctor to solve the puzzle and get the answers that nobody else could. Being subtle doesn’t work. Everybody lies, Allison. When the chips are down, you get to learn what’s really important to people. When they’re on the brink of death, and the one thing, the one vital piece of information they’re holding back is the one thing that could potentially save their life. And it might be too late. So sometimes a little browbeating is necessary. Why did you kiss me?”  
Cameron almost choked and she grabbed her drink for a long sip to clear her throat while House sat and watched her closely.  
“Where did that come from?” she sputtered.  
“I need to know.”  
She searched her brain for an answer but the one she didn’t want to tell him, kept screaming in her head. _Just tell him!_  
“You kissed back,” she pointed out, hoping it would divert him a little. Although she knew he’d circle right back to the real issue.  
“How could I not? What was I going to do? Fight you off? I don’t think so,” he scoffed with a slight smile.  
“You could have. Should have.”  
“Why?”  
“Because it’s like I said before…”  
“Yeah, yeah, we shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. I got that part, but you kissed me. It was pretty hot, too.”  
He watched her blush and get flustered.   
“It’s not a bad thing, you know,” he said. “Whatever happened in that stairwell was going to happen sooner or later.” He crumpled up the plastic wrap from his sandwich and tossed it into the bin behind her before he stood up. “And it will again, sooner or later. Now, I don’t know about you,” he added, as he grabbed his cane, “but I’m in the mood to interrogate...err..interview some hopeful applicants.”  
She nodded and cleared off her desk. “Me too. Have you thought of a code word yet?”  
“How about, “that’s very interesting,” if they’re a definite contender and “we have a lot of other applicants to interview” for those that aren’t?”  
“Perfect. And I mean it, it’s good. What if I interview them in the conference room? If I like them, then I can send them on to you. Then you can use the code phrases to end the interview.”  
Of course, he had no intention of using either of those code phrases, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. He was going to have fun with the applicants, and some, at their expense. After all, if they couldn’t handle a simple interview, how would they handle working for him? They would need thick skin if they wanted to be on his team, and he was going to put them to the test.  
The first applicant was Doctor Elaine Gill, an endocrinologist. She was a widow, came from a hospital in western Canada and heard about the job posting from an online friend who lived in New Jersey. When she told her brother, Kevin Parkinson, a neurologist working at the University of British Columbia, he was eager to go with her. So they emailed their resumes, packed their bags and flew across the country once they were contacted for an interview. Neither of them knew anything about Jersey or the hospital, but Elaine had read the journal article House wrote about the baby boy with Hypothyroidism and was very impressed with it.  
Likewise, when Cameron interviewed her, she was very impressed with Gill and sent her onward to be interviewed by House in the next room. However when she saw a younger, very thin man walk into the office, with blue eyes that rivaled House’s, she couldn’t stop staring.  
“And you are,” she stopped to glance at the resume, “Dr. Parkinson?”  
“I am,” he said as he took a seat in front of her. His legs were so long he had to stretch them out off to the side. He couldn’t have weighed more than 140 pounds soaking wet and Cameron thought he’d definitely give House a run for his money in the looks department. There was also something very familiar about him. She turned and glanced into the office where House was talking to Gill and Gill was watching her with amusement.  
“Okay...what am I missing here?” Cameron asked him.  
“Besides the fact that we look alike?” Parkinson asked her. Then he grinned. “She’s my sister.”  
Cameron was blown away. “Are you twins?”  
Kevin laughed even more. “No, she’s five years older than me. We just look a lot alike.”  
“It’s uncanny.”  
Gill continued watching the exchange between her brother and Cameron.   
“Am I boring you?” House drawled.  
Gill turned her attention back to House. “No, sir.”  
“Do you know that guy?” House asked, gesturing to her brother.  
“You could say that.”  
“Is he your husband?”  
Gill burst out laughing. “Please. No, I’m a widow. That bean pole in there is my brother.”  
House looked just as shocked as Cameron and took another look. “Interesting. So anyway, why do you want to work for us?”  
“Us as in you and Dr. Cameron?”  
“Well, it’s my department but she runs it with me.”  
“Are you two a matched set?” she asked with a slight smile.  
House liked her witty banter and smirked. “Working on it.”  
Gill nodded. “I see. Well, I read your article about the baby boy with Hypothyroidism and it was good. Very unusual case.”  
“Yeah it was. I guess that sort of thing would be right up your alley.”  
“It is. I guess you could say I have a special interest in endocrinology, and hypothyroidism specifically.”  
“Why’s that?”  
“In your article you mentioned the baby girl in Canada who was born with it. I’m her.”  
House cocked his head to one side and studied her. “No way.”  
Gill grinned. “Yes, way. You can call my mom and ask her. Or call the hospital in Vancouver.”  
Meanwhile, down the hall, a man was kicking the bathroom door to get it open but it was clearly locked.  
“Son of a bitch!” he hissed as he pounded on it in frustration.  
“Excuse me a sec,” Gill said as she stood up. House noticed her slim, athletic figure as she left the room and went across the hall. They talked for a minute and then she reached into her pocket and took out some kind of tool. In seconds, she had the door unlocked. The man thanked her profusely and she returned to House’s office looking smug. “When you gotta go, ya gotta go.”  
“Never mind that there are other bathrooms on this floor,” House smirked.  
She shrugged. “Sorry. Where were we?”  
“You clearly have no problem breaking and entering,” House said. It was a statement more than a question.   
Gill shrugged again. “Sometimes ya just gotta get in.”  
“Ever break into a patient’s home to get answers?”  
“No, but the thought has crossed my mind now and again. Why? Is that what you do?”  
“No, that’s what my team is for. I might call upon you to do things that you might find unethical or just plain crazy. If you can deal with that, great. If not, there’s the door and thanks for reading my article.”  
“Did I say I couldn’t deal with it?” she asked. “Like you said, I have no problem doing a little B and E since patients lie. Serves them right.”  
House smiled slightly. “You start on January second. That going to be a problem?”  
She smiled. “Not for me. Gives me time to go home and pack my stuff and find a place here.”  
As she got up, she saw her brother heading for the main office. A few minutes later he came out smiling.  
“You got it, too,” she said with a broad smile.  
House watched the two of them leave and signalled for Cameron to come into the office.  
“Two down, two to go,” House said as he sat back in his chair.   
“I think they’ll be fun to have on the team. Gill is a firecracker, that one,” Cameron chuckled.   
“She has a penchant for B and E’s.”  
Cameron’s eyes widened. “And just how do you know that?”  
“Well, she broke into the men’s washroom in less than ten seconds and said she considered breaking into patient’s homes when she felt they were lying to her.”  
“Looks like you might have found your match. Her brother is a real sweetie. Cute as hell, too.”  
“Don’t get too excited, cougar. He’s fruitier than a Christmas cake.”  
Cameron looked doubtful. “No way.”  
“Yes, way. I’m a guy. We can tell these things.”  
“Whatever, as long as he’s a good doctor, it doesn’t matter.”  
“Nope, it doesn’t. At least I don’t have to worry about him hitting on you. Are we keeping Tyler as our assistant?” he asked.  
“Do you want to?”  
“Yeah, he’s good. He gets shit done. We need that.”  
“Fine. We have a few more applicants but they’re not coming in until tomorrow.”  
“Good. Then if there’s no other business, I’m taking off early,” he told her.  
“You can’t just take off when you feel like it.”  
House pointed to the door. “See that? My name’s on the door. And he whose name is on the door makes the rules.”  
“My name is on the door, too,” she said as she folded her arms across her chest.  
“Yes it is, which means you can go, too,” he said and started shoving things into his bag. “Want to grab something to eat?”  
“I think you know the answer to that, House.”  
He shrugged, trying to brush off the sting of being rejected yet again. “See you tomorrow, then. What time is the first victim...err...applicant coming in?”  
“Nine.”  
House winced. “Nine? Jesus, doesn’t anyone sleep in anymore?”  
“Not when they’re looking for a job.”  
“Whatever. Night, Cameron,” he said as he grabbed his helmet and took off.


	5. Chapter 5

Cameron looked over the next applicant’s resume and brightened. They’d gone through four completely unsuitable people and she knew House was getting ready to do something drastic. She called the lobby and asked that Jane Poole be sent up. Cameron knew the fact Poole was a cardiologist would make House happy but the fact she was nearly as close to retirement age as he was wouldn’t. Since there was no picture on Poole’s resume, Cameron was expecting a grey-haired woman who was probably on the plump side. She heard the elevator doors open and a dark-haired, slender woman appeared. She wore a red wrap dress and navy blue flats. She also didn’t look a day over forty.  
“Doctor Poole?” Cameron asked as the woman entered the conference room.  
“Good afternoon, Doctor Cameron,” Poole said, holding out her hand.  
Cameron shook it and motioned for her to sit down.  
“I think there’s a typo or two on your resume,” Cameron said with a smile.  
Poole laughed and her bright green eyes shone. “No typos. Just good genes.”  
“Well,” Cameron said as she looked at her. “I have to ask why you want to change jobs for less money. You’re the head of Cardiology at Princeton General. You’ve been there for years.”  
“Honestly, I’m bored. I don’t want to retire and I’m being gently nudged to consider that.” She lifted one shoulder. “This sounds fascinating. Like a good challenge. Over the years, I’ve seen so many patients die because all the doctors I worked with were convinced it had to be a heart problem. They wouldn’t get sent to our department if it wasn’t. A lot of times, though, I knew it wasn’t a heart problem but I could never get a chance to figure out just what it was.” She tilted her head and smiled. “I also like puzzles and that’s a bit like what you and Doctor House plan to do. Solve the medical puzzle.”  
Cameron knew she wanted Poole on the team but she also wanted to know more about her. She also knew House was waiting. She stood and sent Poole in to see House. Hopefully, Poole would survive his interview.   
House looked up when Poole entered. He looked back down at her resume.  
“You’re a liar,” he said as she sat down.  
“Everybody lies at some point,” she responded.  
“Even patients?”  
She smiled. “Especially patients. They lie about not smoking, changing their diets, exercising...pretty much everything.”  
“Do you watch porn?” he asked. “I did a little research on you. Religious family members would frown on that.”  
Leaning back in her chair, she sighed. “I heard about you. You like to manipulate people and set them on edge. But, to answer your question, I occasionally watch porn.”  
“One grandfather was a minister, one grandfather and dad were deacons.”  
“Dad is still a deacon. Grandparents have passed on.”  
“Why the move from sunny Florida to snowy Colorado?” he asked. “Dad caught cheating? Find out the youngest is really the milk man’s kid?”  
She laughed. “Nothing that interesting. Dad got offered a transfer and took it. I did spend summers in Florida.” She arched a brow. “Don’t you want to know my cup size?”  
House laughed. “You did research me.”  
“I can use Google, too,” she smiled.  
“You’re married.” He looked back down at her resume.  
“You’re single but interested in Doctor Cameron.”  
House’s head jerked back and he blinked. “That is not on any search engine.”  
“True but you keep looking toward the other room.”  
“Maybe you’re boring,” he said defensively.  
“Should I leave?”  
“No one else is going to hire you,” he grumbled.  
“Doctor Cameron hired you so I figure I have a good chance,” she smiled.  
“Is hubby going to go all caveman on my ass if you have to work late?” he asked.  
Again, she smiled. “No. He has a job that keeps him pretty busy.”  
“Got any problems breaking into a patient’s house?”  
“Nope. We always keep a few thousand dollars on hand for bail money.”  
“Ha.”  
“No. I’m serious.”  
House narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. “Hubby going to be pissed if you start work on January second?”  
“No. And his name is Rob, not that you’ll bother to remember that.”  
House leaned across his desk. “I am going to snap you like a dry twig,” he whispered.  
She leaned in and smiled. “I think you’ll find I’m very flexible.” She sat back. “So, I’ll see you on the second.”  
Standing, she smoothed her skirt, called out a goodbye to Cameron and left.  
Cameron came in and looked at House.  
“Three down and one to go,” he said with a frown.  
“I heard her. She’s very observant,” Cameron commented.  
“Nothing but smoke and mirrors. We’ll probably replace her before the end of the year.”  
Cameron shook her head. She thought about warning Poole but figured the woman was more than capable of taking care of herself.  
The next day they interviewed the last applicants. Two left crying and one threatened to sue House.  
Cameron came into their office and stretched out on the couch under the windows. “I didn’t hear you use the code words once.” She closed her eyes. “We have no more suitable applicants and one position open.”  
“Isn’t this a teaching hospital?”  
“Yes.”  
“Then let’s get an intern in here. You know I’m all about teaching.”  
Cameron laughed. “Yes you are.” She rolled onto her side and looked at him. “We could get an intern. We could open up this department as part of their rotation.”  
“Then we’re four for four. We’ve got Tyler as our assistant and that hard ass nurse.”  
“And I found the perfect person to take over the ER.”  
“Oh, and who is this oh so perfect person?” he asked with a glint in his eye.  
“You are going to leave her alone,” Cameron warned him.  
“What’s her name? Or is that a state secret?” he asked with an exaggerated pout.  
“Doctor Ruby Lucas. She’s transferring from Maine.”  
House leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. “Sounds like a boring old lady.”  
“You said the same thing about Poole,” she reminded him.  
“There is no way Poole is fifty-six. She’s lying.”  
Cameron got up and went to her computer. She typed for a bit and then turned the screen so House could see.   
“Here she is at her parents’ fifty-eighth wedding anniversary. None of them look old enough to have parents married that long.”  
He leaned forward and looked at the picture. Her parents looked young and so did her four siblings. He noted they all looked like their mother.  
“Dad isn’t dad,” he told her as he sat back.  
“All four of them have some of his features.”  
“She has two sets of twins,” he commented.  
Cameron looked at the photo again.  
“Not the mom,” House said. “Poole. Two sets of fraternal twins. Three girls and one boy.”  
“You really did Google her.”  
“I Googled them all. Can’t have a serial killer working here. Bad enough we hired those two Canadians. Though, the sister is hot.” He watched Cameron closely for her reaction.  
“She is, but I think Poole is gorgeous. I’ve always liked mine older.”  
“Do. Not. Tease. Me.”  
Cameron grinned. “Think Gill and Poole would report me to HR if I invited them to join me in a threesome?”  
“You are evil,” House said with a slight smile as he got up and grabbed his cane. “Let’s go find an intern to torture.”  
XXX  
“No!” Cameron said firmly.  
She and House were in their office. It was late and it was snowing outside.  
House gave an exaggerated sigh and then folded his hands in supplication. He poked his bottom lip out and widened his eyes.  
“Please? She’s going to fail. We can shape her and mould her into anything we want. She can be our own Build-A-Doc.”  
Cameron smiled slightly at his antics. “Greg, she lacks focus. She spends too much time chatting to the patients, nurses and orderlies. Basically anyone who will listen.”  
House leaned back and grinned. “Exactly. She’s chatty. Think of all we can get from the patients by sending the little chatterbox in. You, Hottie and Psychic Pixie should whip her into shape in no time.”   
“Are you referring to Doctor Gill and Doctor Poole?”  
“Obviously.”  
Cameron shook her head. “I don’t know. This department is going to be like a pressure cooker. The last thing we need to do is babysit an intern.”  
House folded his arms over his chest and frowned. “Fine. Go with the smart nerd.”  
“You’ll like him. I promise,” she smiled.  
“I get to call him and tell him,” House said with a mutinous look in his eyes.  
Cameron knew House would decimate the intern. Leaning forward, she rested her arms on her desk and smiled at him. “Why don’t we start with Noah Charles and if he doesn’t work out, we’ll get Jenna Hamilton on the team?”  
“Why can’t we have both of them?” House asked with a tilt of his head. “They aren’t getting paid and we need people to do scut work. We can pit them against each other and whoever comes out on top gets to stay.”  
“You’re going to play a game of some sort one way or another, aren’t you?” she asked before dropping her head down onto her arms.  
“Of course,” he said as he reached for the phone.  
Cameron sat back and folded her arms across her chest. If he wanted to play, she would play. Once he finished cajoling the Dean into letting them have the two interns, she got up and walked around the desks.  
“Since I caved on the interns, you have to give me something in return,” she said as she leaned over the edge of his desk.  
“Seems fair,” he said slowly. He could see down her top, and he liked what he saw.  
“Good. Then you’re coming to the holiday party next week.”  
“NO!”  
She nodded and leaned down until her lips brushed against his ear. “Quid pro quo.”  
He shivered but backed his chair away from her.  
“You can have Nerd Charles. I don’t want to go!!”  
“I already worked it all out with Dean Harlow. You don’t have to wear a tux. And there’s an open bar.”  
“You have to wear something really sexy. All three of you do.”  
“Deal,” she said holding out her hand.  
He looked at her suspiciously before shaking her hand quickly. The jolt of electricity wasn’t lost on either of them. “Cleavage _and_ legs,” he told her.   
She smiled. “Cleavage and legs. All three of us. Wait. You did mean Poole, Gill and me, right? Because seeing Parkinson and Tyler in drag might be fun.”  
“Evil. Although I don’t think Parkinson does the drag thing. And if he did, it would be creepy because then he’d definitely look too much like his sister.”  
She laughed and went to gather up her things. “See you in the morning, Greg.”  
He grunted and she left still laughing. Once she was gone, he banged his head lightly on his desk.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, when House didn’t show up for work, Cameron called him but there was no answer so she called Wilson and was glad to find him at home.  
“Hey James, it’s Allison. Do you know if Greg is home?”  
“ _Let me check._ ”  
There was a pause before he returned. “ _His bike is here so yeah. Why? What’s going on?_ ”  
“Well, he should be here, but he’s not.”  
“ _Knowing House he slept in. Want me to go him up?”_  
“No, it’s okay. I’m coming over myself.” She ended the call, grabbed her stuff and drove over to House’s apartment.  
House heard the doorbell, and dragged himself out of bed. “I’m coming! Keep your panties on.”  
When he opened the door, Cameron was startled. The man exuded sex from every pore. In his T-shirt and pajama pants, his eyes looked more blue than usual and his hair was disheveled. He looked like he’d just gotten out of bed, which caused heat to race through Cameron. She fervently hoped he didn’t notice the blush tingeing her cheeks.  
“What?” he snapped at her as he leaned against the door frame.  
Cameron blinked several times as she tried to get her thoughts together.  
“Why aren’t you at work?” she asked.  
“There’s nothing to do. We don’t have a case and the department doesn’t officially open until January.”  
“You can’t just not show up.”  
He cocked his head to one side and gave her a sexy smile. “We’ve got three doctors and two interns on the payroll. Just send them to the ER and the clinic and tell them to find us some cases.”  
“You need to get the word out that we’re open for business and willing to take on those cases. They’re not just going to fall into our laps.”  
“Bullshit,” he said as he turned around and headed into the kitchen with Cameron on his heels. “They’ve been coming in from everywhere for weeks. And last I checked, your name is also on the door.”  
“ _I’ve_ been hiring doctors for you to patronize and intimidate. Thankfully Gill and Poole are on to your game and they’re willing to play along, but do you think the others are going to be so forgiving when we don’t have anything for them to do except scut work?”  
“The department isn’t open until January!” he reminded her. “Besides, Gill and her brother went home to pack their stuff and tie up loose ends and Poole has to finish out her time at Princeton. It’s just you and me, baby. Oh, and Nerd Ned and Chatty Cathy.”  
“Is this all a big joke to you?”  
“Not at all, but I could turn it into one if you’d like. Want a bagel?”  
Cameron blinked. “What?”  
“Do. You. Want. A. Bagel?” House asked, speaking slowly as he held one up to her face.  
“Oh, okay fine.”  
“Good. You can start the coffee. Pods are in the drawer. I’ll take an espresso.”  
Unable to come up with a witty retort, she found the pods and put one in the machine.  
“So is that the only reason you came over? To get my ass out of bed so I could come to work and do nothing? Or did you just wanna see me in my sexy pajamas?”  
Cameron resisted the urge to say she did but just shook her head as the bagels popped out of the toaster.   
House put one on a plate and shoved it towards her. “There’s cream cheese in the fridge.”  
“So are you going to come to work today?” she asked him as she finished her bagel.  
“No, and I think we should have a set day off during the week. Because sometimes we might have to work over the weekend or pull all-nighters and we need that break. So since it’s a Wednesday, I’ll make it my regular day off. You can have whatever day you want as long as one of us is in the department.”  
“That makes sense. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a day off mid-week. I’ll pick Monday then.”  
“Long weekend. Nice.”  
“Assuming we don’t work weekends. I know we’ll have to sometimes.”  
“That’s what the team is for. They can work it, and call us only if they have to. But if we have a patient, one of them can stay and monitor them. Or all of them. We’ll figure it out.”  
“So, about the Christmas fundraiser is this weekend. Got your suit?” she asked as she worked on the second half of her bagel.  
“Yep. What about you? Got that sexy dress all ready?”  
She nodded. “Yep. It’s in its garment bag in the closet as we speak.”  
“Nice. I wonder what the other ladies will wear.”  
Cameron shrugged. “No idea, but when I told them your criteria, Gill merely laughed and Poole looked amused. One could also say it borders on sexual harassment.”  
“It’s all in good fun, and it’s a festive occasion. Everyone’s going to be dressed in their finery.”  
“Gill doesn’t seem like the glitz and glamour type.”  
“Her brother might be,” House said with a grin. “One could say I have an all girl team.”  
“Now _that_ is sexual harassment,” Cameron replied as she took her empty plate to the dishwasher.  
“It doesn’t seem to bother you when I do it.”  
“Because I’m immune to your charms. Or lack thereof.”  
House winced and placed his hand over his heart. “Ouch.”  
“Well come on, Greg,” Cameron laughed, “you’re not known for your bedside manner.”  
He moved closer to her, their hips touching, and whispered in her ear, “Depends on which bedside you’re referring to.”  
Cameron’s heart immediately began to race and she couldn’t move. House was standing right next to her, and she could feel his warm breath against her cheek as he spoke. She knew if she turned her head he would most likely kiss her. She also knew that if she kissed back, she wouldn’t be able to stop. She could feel the heat from his body against hers as he stood there, waiting.   
“Allison,” he said, softly as he brushed the hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.   
“What?”  
“Don’t you think it’s time we bury the hatchet and just...I don’t know, give in to what we both know we want?”  
“It’s not that easy.”  
“Yes it is. You’re the one making things difficult. And if I’m not mistaken, you kissed me first. There’s so much sexual tension and when it finally erupts, hot damn! I’m all for that, but I don’t know how much longer I can last like this. I’m serious. I still think we should go from a professional working relationship to a personal one.”  
“Greg,” she sighed and gave her head a shake. “You keep saying that and you know why we shouldn’t. We work together. If it fails, then what?”  
“You don’t even want to try? That doesn’t sound very Cameron-like. You’re the optimist between the two of us.”  
“I’m also a realist.”  
“So am I. And I think we should at least see if it will go anywhere.”  
“Like a date?”  
“That’s a start. Be my hot date at the fundraiser. You won’t be disappointed.”  
Somehow, she knew he was telling her the truth. From what she’d heard from Amber and Wilson, House could be a gentleman when he wanted to. Maybe...just maybe....  
He could see her resolve melting and he knew he had her, but he didn’t dare get his hopes up. Not yet.  
She sighed again and nodded. “Okay.”   
As if on cue, Cameron’s pager went off and she checked it. “It’s the ER. I have to go.”  
House nodded and walked with her to the door. “So was that okay to being my date, or okay about making things work outside of work?”  
“Let’s just start with the fundraiser and go from there.”  
“Okay. What time do you want me to pick you up?”  
“Well, I’m helping set up so why don’t we just meet there, okay?”  
House nodded. “Sounds good.” Then he stepped forward, closing the gap between them and softly took her face in his hands. “I’m not one to talk about my feelings but I know when something feels right.”  
Cameron’s eyes fluttered closed as soon as his lips touched hers and she let out a soft sigh. It felt as if she completely melted against him, and he wrapped his arms around her to keep her close as the kiss continued. She let her hands slide up his back and her fingers buried in his silver hair.  
Her fingers in his hair only made him want more, and he deepened the kiss by sweeping his tongue against hers. He could feel her hardened nipples pressing against his chest as she leaned against him.  
“Mmm...Greg, I really have to go.”  
He groaned in frustration but very slowly pulled back, sucking gently on her bottom lip as he did so.  
“See you tomorrow.”  
“Yeah,” she said as she grabbed her purse that she’d dropped on the floor. Still slightly breathless, she made her way to the car and once she was inside, she gave her head a shake and composed herself. _Damn that man!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who are reading.   
> We still don't own _House_.

The party was in full swing and everything and everyone looked wonderful. It was a Monte Carlo theme and while Cameron was enjoying herself, she wondered if House was going to show up. It was getting late and he hadn’t arrived yet. She was afraid that by the time he got there, she’d be too drunk to care. Every time a server passed by, she’d take a glass of champagne from the tray.  
“Dr. Cameron!” Gill called to her from the bar. She wore a royal blue sequin dress and sparkling silver high heels. The dress clung to her like a second skin and showed off her long, shapely legs. The v-neck accentuated her cleavage and collar bones. Poole leaned against the bar beside her.  
“Wow, that dress is incredible,” Cameron said as she looked Gill over.  
“Thanks. I love it.”   
“I’m sure House would approve, if he ever makes it,” Poole smiled. She wore a plum colored slip dress that showed off her cleavage as well as her toned arms and legs.   
“I don’t know, he did say cleavage but I don’t really have any,” Gill giggled as her brother handed her another scotch.  
“That makes two of us,” Cameron said dryly as she downed another flute of champagne. She looked over at Poole who sipped something clear and bubbly. “I think you’ve got enough cleavage for all of us.”   
Poole winked at her and Cameron grinned saucily.  
At the entrance to the hospital lobby, House stopped short. His view of the bar was unobstructed and he saw Cameron turn as she sipped a glass of champagne. Her long blonde hair was braided and formed a crown on her head. Her makeup accentuated her delicate features and she wore a cream colored dress with embroidery surrounding the deep V that gave him ample view of her cleavage. The skirt flowed back from a slit that showed her long slender legs. House felt his breath catch in his throat and his heart begin to pound. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he had to turn away to get control of himself. Taking several deep breaths, he adjusted his tie and gripped his cane. He slowly made his way toward her.   
“You should slow down with those,” he commented. Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated as she looked at him. He’d trimmed his beard and his silver hair was swept to one side and curled a little over his brow. He smiled slightly as she openly ogled him in his dark suit, white shirt and silver tie. When she looked down at his right hand, she saw his cane had an ornate silver skull head on it. He leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the mole on the inside of her right breast.  
“Nice,” he breathed.  
Cameron cleared her throat as color bloomed on her cheeks. Heat coursed through her as he continued to stare at her. She would need a lot more champagne to get through the night.  
“You look very debonair, Dr. House. The female donors are going to love you,” she told him.  
“That’s the point. Now, where’s the craps table. I plan to win a small fortune tonight.” He offered her his arm with a sexy wink. “Care to blow on my dice? And by dice I mean...”  
She smiled in a way that sent fire straight through him.  
Gill, Parkinson and Poole watched the two of them walk together to the craps table. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Parkinson asked.  
“Yep. She’ll be doing the walk of shame tomorrow morning,” Gill replied.  
“Hopefully she’s not too drunk to remember it.” Poole added with a laugh.  
XXX  
Two hours later, House won a hefty sum at the craps and roulette tables. He also tried to get Cameron to drink plenty of water but the way she was downing the champagne he knew she was very drunk. She could barely stand and Gill helped House take her out to his car so he could drive her home. They managed to get her out without any of the donors or board members seeing her.  
“Mmm where’re we going?” she murmured as he made sure her seat belt was fastened.  
“ _You_ are going home to sleep it off,” he said as he got in and started the car.  
“Are we going to play doctor, Dr. House?” she giggled as she placed her hand on his leg.  
“Behave yourself so we can get home in one piece,” he said as he drove out of the parking lot and headed to her apartment. Once they got there, she was barely able to walk on her own, and he used his cane to support her extra weight as she hung onto him.  
“Where are your keys?” he asked.  
She smiled wickedly as she leaned forward giving him a view straight down her dress. “You’ll have to find them.”   
House swallowed hard, shook his head and took her purse. After rummaging around, he found them and unlocked the front door.   
“Wanna come in for a nightcap?” she slurred.  
“You’ve had enough nightcaps for both of us. You need to get into bed and sleep it off,” he said as they entered her apartment.   
“Yeah, sleep sounds good. I’ve wanted to sleep with you for a long time, Greg,” she said as she stumbled into her bedroom. House followed to ensure she didn’t hurt herself.  
“Not tonight,” he said.   
“Why? In case you haven’t noticed, I am finally throwing myself at you, you dumb prick!”  
House stared back at her as she swayed slightly looking at him with bleary eyes.   
“Name calling is beneath you,” he said as he guided her over to the bed. “Now sit. Where are your pajamas?”  
“I sleep in the nude,” she giggled as she pulled her dress over her head and dropped it on the floor. She kicked off her peep toe pumps and stood before him in a lacy, cream colored thong.  
“Oh for the love of…” he groaned and picked up the dress. Limping to her closet, he hung it on a hook and took a few moments to get his erection under control. The sight of her nearly naked was almost his undoing. Averting his eyes, he went to her dresser and opened drawers until he found a cotton night shirt. “Here, put this on.”  
“Aww you’re no fun. I thought you wanted me, Gregory.”  
“Not like this.”  
“Not like what?”  
“Drunk!” he snapped as he wrestled her into the night shirt. “I’m not sleeping with you just to have you puke all over me and then not remember what happened.”  
“Then stay and keep me company.”  
He actually considered it, considering how drunk she was. Once she was dressed for bed, he pulled back the covers and she climbed in, yawning.   
“I’ll get you some water.”  
He went to her bathroom and filled a glass with water, and as a precaution, grabbed the trash can and put it next to the bed. “Here, drink up.”  
She did what he asked so he went and refilled it. When he returned, she was out cold.  
Stripping down to his boxer shorts, he got into bed next to her, hoping for a restful night but prepared for the opposite.  
Cameron’s retching woke him up a few hours later. At least she had the decency to make it to the bathroom first. So he got up and found her sitting on the floor next to the toilet, sweaty strands of hair plastered to her face.  
“My brain is on fire,” she groaned.  
“Gee, I wonder why,” he said as he wet a washcloth and wiped her face with it.  
“I’m never drinking again.”  
“I’ve heard that before, too.”  
“Why did you stay?”  
“To make sure you didn’t drown in your own vomit.”  
“Mmm..you’re my knight,” she murmured as she slowly got up and went back to bed. “Thank you,” she murmured again as she pulled the covers up. “Don’t tell the team about this, okay?”  
“I won’t have to. Gill already knows. How else do you think I got you into the car? You were like a dead weight.”  
“How did you get me here?”  
“You managed to walk by yourself by leaning on me.”  
“Lovely.”  
When he heard her deep, slow breathing, he knew she was asleep and hoped she’d sleep until morning. When he eventually woke up, she was still asleep but he was hungry. Careful not to wake her, he got up, pulled on his trousers and dress shirt, then went out to the kitchen. He started the coffee and found some bread to make toast.  
“What’s the best cure for a wicked hangover?” Cameron mumbled as she padded into the kitchen. Her face was pale, her hair hung loose from its braid, and she covered her eyes from the bright sunlight flooding into the kitchen.  
“A good spanking,” House replied as he took the toast out of the toaster and slathered jam on it. “But then maybe you like that.”  
“Not now, Greg,” she groaned as she went to the coffee maker and poured herself a large mug.  
The doorbell rang and House slowly rose to answer it. Poole stood looking impossibly alert and holding a large bag.  
“Got food in there?” he asked.  
She smiled and he stepped back to let her in. “Not anything you’d want. Elaine called me this morning. She’s hung over but asked me to check on Allison.”   
“You don’t seem surprised to see me here,” he commented as he followed her to the kitchen where Cameron sat on the floor cradling her coffee cup. Apparently, walking to the kitchen table proved to be too much for her.  
“Elaine said she helped you take Allison out to your car so you could take her home. I figured you’d stay since it was so late.” Poole began to pull items from the bag.  
House sat back down at the kitchen table and picked up his toast. “Who is Elaine?”  
“Gill,” Cameron and Poole responded in unison.  
House leaned back and narrowed his eyes at Poole. “You are a scary little pixie.”  
“I just stopped in to make a hangover cure,” she told him with a smile.  
“You were drinking seltzer all night,” House commented. “And I know you don’t drink so how do you know about hangover cures?”  
“I may not drink but my husband and one of my sisters does.” She helped Cameron up and guided her toward a chair. Then she began opening cabinets until she found a clean glass. “And before you ask, no, I don’t abstain for religious reasons. I just don’t like the taste.”  
She quickly and efficiently mixed up a drink for Cameron and set the glass in front of her. “Drink up,” she said.  
Cameron made a face but drank the reddish brown liquid. Poole took the glass, rinsed it and left it in the sink.  
“Well, I’m off,” she said to Cameron. “If you need anything, let me know.”  
Cameron nodded. She was already beginning to look better.  
With a smile at both of them, Poole left.   
House looked at Cameron. “Feeling better?” he asked.  
She nodded. “Whatever was in that really worked. I’m a little hungry.”  
House got up, fixed her some toast and a glass of water.  
“Here, eat up. And then I’m going to head home. I need a shower and a change of clothes.”  
She nodded and ate her toast while he went into the bedroom to get the rest of his things.  
“You did look good last night, you know,” she said as he grabbed his keys.   
“So did you. Now take it easy. Doctor's orders.”  
She managed a small smile and a wave. “Yes, Doctor.”

_To Be Concluded…_


End file.
